The Nine Month Trial
by InvaderHope6
Summary: With no support financially or from 'certain' family members, we follow the trials month by month as the strange couple struggles to get their life in order before their new member of family arrives. ZADR, Mpreg
1. Month One

**Hey hey hey :) Man, it has been a while, hasn't it? I misseded you guys! Did you miss me? No? Oh...well, I missed you guys XD I kid. It's good to be back with this new fic! Hazaa!**

**This story is an interesting one. Short. Simple. And...interesting. It'll be udated monthly, and follows a timeline that stays true to a timeline in real life. In other words, whatever season it is right now, it'll be the same in the story. The month we are dragging ourselves through will be the same in the story :D Cool, right?**

**Please go check out my DA account for pictures related to the story as well! (and if any of you feel like doing FanArt PLEASE PLEASE let me know...I would love to see it)**

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Hazy eyes tried to open as the beeping of the alarm grew louder. Dib groaned as he turned onto his back, rubbing his still shut eyelids, "Damn, it's too early for this. Five more minutes!"

His pleas fell on the deaf metaphoric ears of the alarm clock as it continued to beep. It almost sounded louder now, like it was defying him or something.

He sighed, reaching across and slamming a fist down onto it in the hope that it would shut up. And to his delight, it did.

He sat up, running a hand through his messy hair as he let the tiredness sink into his still asleep muscles and mind. Perhaps going to bed at one was a bad idea. Well, he had little choice in the matter in all honesty. How else was he going to finish that website design for the presentation tomorrow? He moved his head around in a circle, cringing at the number of clicks he managed to hear. This was such an awful bed.

After his legs eventually managed their way to the edge of the creaky mattress as he stood, stretching his arms next. If someone was observant enough, they would almost think this was a ritual as Dib did the same pattern of events every morning. Dib, eyes now a bit more focused, looked around. Damn, this room was small. Cluttered. Messy. He let out a breath. This wasn't exactly how he imagined his first year out of college to be like. Living in a dingy one room apartment, struggling to get work, barely making the bills each month. The IT firm he worked for did give him good work and enough exposure to keep afloat. But he only made enough money to keep his lifestyle going. He wasn't exactly making enough for some of it to go into his Savings Account, now was he?

If something happened that would add another expense to his life…well, he wouldn't be able to handle it at this rate.

And of course, his dad was being _such_ a great help with things, wasn't he? Cutting his only son off like that…and all because of who he chose to spend his time with? Dib couldn't believe the Professor. His dad was just so…narrow-minded. Pig-headed. Moron.

Speaking of those he chose to spend time with…where was Zim? He turned, surprised not to see the alien slumbering away next to him like he usually was at this time of morning. Dib left for his job earlier than the alien did, and it always bugged Dib that Zim got to sleep in. But when he'd catch the cute dream-like look on the Irken's face…well, the anger sort of dissipated into mild irritation as a smirk took hold of his face.

But there was no dreamy-sleepy-headed alien there now. So where did he go?

Dib began making for the door, something catching hold of his hearing. He opened it in a swing, and the noise became clearer. It was…coming from the bathroom down the hallway. Flushing. Dib grew a curious look as he headed towards the room in question. Zim hardly ever stepped into the bathroom, other than to comb out his wig, or to check out his appearance smugly before heading to work.

He placed his clenched hand against the old chipped wood of his door, knocking against it slightly, "Uh…Zim?"

He heard something fall, like a container. The alien's movement inside became erratic, like he was panicked or something. The human took a step back as the door opened slightly, Zim stepping out with a slight carefulness in each step. He looked awful. He was sweating. Pale. Shaky. He had a strange odour wafting around him as well. Had he been sick?

The alien, with weak trembling eyes, looked up at Dib, "What?"

Dib moved a little closer up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "What's going on? You look…sick."

"I'm fine," Zim shrugged, trying to get away from Dib. But the human wasn't having it, keeping a grip on him, "Yeah, just like how I'm not going to be late for work…_again_. Come on, talk to me. What time have you been awake from? Is your stomach sore or something?"

Zim gave him a dirty look. He hated looking ill, especially around Dib. It showed him during his weakest, and it was a disgraceful quality for Irkens to give off, "Just leave me alone, Dib-Stink! Your concern is not wanted, alright?!"

Dib gave him a look as Zim was about to continue. He was defensive now. Hmm, something was up. He only got this way if he was trying to hide something.

"You're just annoying me and wasting time and…!" Zim was about to continue his yelling fit, but was quickly cut off by a lurch in his stomach. He groaned out as his teeth gritted. He leant into the human unintentionally, grabbing hold of his stomach, "No, no; not again."

Dib held onto him gently as the alien huffed. At the back of his mind, Dib was a little worried that Zim was about to hurl all over one of his favourite shirts…but his main concern at the moment was the fact that Zim – an Irken who was not genetically capable of catching human illnesses like a stomach flu or something – was sick. Did he eat something new that wasn't to his body's liking?

No. Dib was always with him when he was eating, and he hadn't noticed him eating something strange. Zim knew what he could handle and what he couldn't, anyway. And besides, if Zim ate something that didn't agree with him, he would have immediately spat it out. So why was he getting sick now in the early morning?

Zim covered his mouth with both hands. Alarm bells went off in Dib's head and he quickly led the alien back into their bathroom. Dib lifted the toilet seat up just in time as Zim leaned over it, spewing up whatever was left in his stomach.

After coughing slightly to be rid of the bile caught in his throat, he fell back into the human's chest, clinging to him in agony. All worry over showing weakness was momentarily out of his mind as his stomach panged. Dib wrapped his arms around the sweaty figure, rubbing his back gently as the alien panted, scared warm breathes hitting against the human's thin shirt, "Shh, Shh. I'm right here, Zim. I'm staying right here with you."

Dib reached across and flushed the toilet once more when he saw Zim had begun drifting into a sleep. He placed his hands at the correct points and gently lifted the alien up, carrying him back over to their bed. Zim clung to him still, even in his doze.

He pulled the covers over the slumbering figure, before grabbing their waste bin he had next to his desk. He decided to be safe rather than sorry as he left it by Zim's side of the bed. He next yanked his phone from its compartment on the side table as he sat on the edge of the bed, sighing.

"BigBop IT Centre. How may I help you?"

"Hey Jean, it's Dib."

"Ah, morning Dib. What's up?"

"I've got an emergency at home and can't make it in today."

"Hmm. Well, that shouldn't be a problem. I'll let your Rep. know," she hummed on the other side. Dib smirked. She was at least a little easy on him. She understood what life was like for him at the moment, thankfully.

"Thanks, Jean. I'll see you again tomorrow."

Dib placed the phone back in its holder and slipped in next to the snoozing Irken, wrapping an arm over the still pale figure, "You are such maintenance, Zim."

"Mmm, you still love me anyways," the alien slurred in his sleep.

Dib sat a little straighter, not in his wildest dreams expecting the Irken to have heard him. But he smiled and leaned a little closer, "I guess so."

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**Please review/follow/favorite and hope you all enjoy. Let me know what you think :3**


	2. Month Two

**Hey Everyone! I am back. Tired. Stressed. Officially hate humanity and...blah blah blah! :P**

**But, glad to see this fic is getting an EXCELLENT response. Good to know people are enjoying it :D  
I do have a little bad news...so we went back to calculating this thing and we are completely wrong now in terms of if this thing follows an actual timeline thingy anymore ^^;**

**Just forget it, we're just gonna continue publishing it.**

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He carefully shut the restroom door behind him, wiping his mouth with his dark sleeve, moans breaking at the back of his throat.

He dragged his heavy body back over to the clothing shelves, going back to what he had been doing previously: folding clothes. The Assistant Manager walked past him, grinning slightly, "You look like shit, Zim."

The alien glared up at her as he continued folding the shirts in front of him, "Much appreciated…" he muttered a few more words to himself, something too vulgar to let his boss hear at the moment.

She gave him a look over, before turning her nose up and moving away from him to continue her rounds. Zim sighed, placing the shirt in its correct pile. It had been two months now. He had been throwing up every other day. Mostly in the morning and now even when he was at work. He tried to keep Dib in the dark about it still happening. But he knew the human was sharp enough to notice something was up.

Zim couldn't even explain what was happening. He had been eating mild human foods since the illness began. He had been resting as much as he could when he could in the hope that it would help…at all.

Nothing. How he longed to have his communications back with the Empire. All he needed was to see a Medic Droid for five minutes, and all this suffering would be gone. But no. He was no longer considered a part of the Irken Elite. He was not an Invader anymore. He was just…Zim…Former Irken Invader stuck on the stupid planet Earth.

He looked down at the putrid green turtle neck he had to fold next, something twisting in his chest.

He let out a breath and grabbed hold of the sleeves, getting back to work. He looked up as two women passed by him, chattering loudly amongst one another.

"Hmm, for three weeks now, huh?" the blond let out as they looked over the jeans rack across from the alien.

"Yeah, I'm kinda worried now. I mean, my cycle runs like clockwork. It's never been this late before."

"Well, don't jump to conclusions, girl. Have you had any reason to suspect there's a bun in the oven?"

"Well…" the brunette drew out, blushing terribly.

Zim watched the two of them carefully. He had not a clue what they were talking about. He didn't quite understand Earth lingo and slang yet. He was tempted to simply ignore them and head to a different department now, but they were speaking so loudly, he couldn't stop himself from listening further into the conversation…or so he was telling himself.

"Okay, I've been feeling ill in the mornings…" Zim felt his antennae perk beneath his messy wig. He looked back over to them, continuing his folding, but more focused now on their conversation.

"Oh, morning sickness, huh?" the blond nodded, "What else?"

"I've been really tired lately." Zim grew a look. Had he been tired? Well, probably. He had been going to bed two hours earlier every day. He thought it was because of the vomiting throughout the day. That really takes a lot out of a person…no pun intended.

Her blush grew as the blond grinned at her, "Girl, I think you should start worrying now."

"Do you think I should get tested?" she pondered, folding her arms.

Zim looked away. Tested? There was a test for this illness? Perfect. But what was the name of this illness?! Damn these humans. Come on! Continue the thought, damn it!

"Look, I say get one of those over-the-counter pregnancy test things before heading off to the docs. Just to be sure. Come, I'll even go with you," the blond smiled.

Zim felt the fabric slip out of his fingers. _Pregnancy?_ He was well familiarized with that term. It was the term human's used to describe expecting females when fertilization was successful. But…no. He couldn't be…?

He bolted for the front desk, the Assistant Manager turning to face him, "Zim?"

"I need to go on my break," he tried in a panic.

Though a little suspicious of the request – as Zim never really took his lunch breaks – she nodded, never before seeing such a determined fret in his face.

Zim raced out of the Clothing store, running for the pharmacy on the second level of the mall. He worked on the fourth.

He knew what pregnancy meant – on and off Earth. But for an Irken to be pregnant…No!  
Mating on Irk had been banned millennia ago in an attempt to sift out inbreeding and weaknesses in the Irken genes found amongst the species. By having all individuals created in the Smeeteries, it meant there was less of a chance for abnormalities to occur in terms of an Irken's body shell. The PAK defects were another matter.

After starting this relationship with the human – five years after the Armada had left him stranded here – kissing and cuddling had been incredibly foreign to him. But he grew to enjoy the comforts offered by the human. The affection he felt was something never offered up on his planet.

And after a very long time, mating as well had become one of those things.

What a fool he was to forget. He had completely disregarded the consequences he was most likely to face…and now…

He went into the Pharmacy, looking around in a slight panic. He knew the male humans on this planet were incapable of falling pregnant. Would it be seen as something weird for him to be asking for one of these test things?

Perhaps not. He could just lie and say it was for his…girlfriend, or something.

He went over to the counter, not doing a very good job of covering up his blush, "Um…"

The elderly woman smiled at him, "What can I do for you, Sir?"

"I need…" he gave a slight gulp, anxiety pulsing through him, "I need to know where I can find a…pregnancy test. For my girlfriend!" He quickly blurted out to ensure no confusion was to take place.

The woman looked him over, and nodded, "I highly doubt it's for you, Sir. Don't worry."

She stood and turned to grab one of the boxes on the shelves. She handed it to him, "This is one of the more reliable brands. A little bit more expensive, but sure to give you accuracy. The instructions are on the back of the box."

"Thank you," Zim took the box with a shaky hand.

The woman smiled, "Youth these days are so high strung over matters like this. Don't worry yourself into a heart attack, son. Whatever the news is, it'll be good."

_That's easy for you to say_. Zim nodded despite everything and paid her, taking the box with him.

He made his way over to one of the men's rooms, hiding himself in one of the stalls. He sat on the toilet seat and sighed. No one had seen him. Thank goodness. He flipped over the box, reading through the instructions in a whisper. He tilted his head back in curiosity as he took one of the stick looking things out.

Irkens didn't have the physical capability to urinate. And this test required him to do so. He rested himself back onto the seat, groaning, "Damn it."

His eyes closed in frustration as he tried thinking of something he could do. He had to know.

Zim sat a little straighter, a thought occurring. His PAK filtered waste, didn't it? And urine was a waste product produced by humans, was it not? He reached back into his PAK, trying to find the correct tube. If he yanked out the wrong one, it could lead to something disastrous…like death! He managed to pull the right one out slowly. He carefully yanked it out of its connector and let a few droplets of green fluid drip onto the edge of the stick. He connected it back where it needed to be and sat back…waiting now.

The test said it would take up to three minutes for the results to show. Zim folded his arms after he left the stick on the toilet roll dispenser. He rubbed them carefully, the AC in the bathrooms always too high for his liking. Thoughts raced along the lining of his skull. He couldn't believe this was happening.

What if he was pregnant? How would Dib react? What would the human say?!

They didn't have the money to support a child right now. And how was this whole pregnancy thing going to work out? Zim knew nothing about being pregnant. It had been banned on Irk for so long now, no Irken knew much about it. And he highly doubted Dib had any idea on the matter either.

Zim caught his breath and thoughts and silenced them with a huff. No. He was overreacting. He wasn't pregnant. Of course he wasn't pregnant. Ha, how laughable. He was just fighting off an infection or something. It wasn't possible for…him…

He heard his wristwatch beep, the timer he had set up. He looked away, leaving it to beep. He wasn't sure he could face what he was about to see. He sighed and reached across, grabbing the stick carefully. His eyes glanced over it, and he felt his insides go cold.

The little white stick hit the floor as he covered his face pathetically. He began shaking his head.

That little cross…had now ruined his whole life.

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**Like we didn't see that coming! :O  
Anyways. REVIEW/FAV/FOLLOW! You know what to do ;) **

**Uh...I'll attempt to go and put up the pic for this fic later if I get the chance. **

**See you next month :)**


	3. Month Three

**So, it's not really technically next week yet, but...What the hell? I have a free moment ;) I actually need this distraction to keep me away from trying out a new game I downloaded: SCP Containment Breach!**

** The reason why I HAVE to stop playing this thing is because I would like to sleep tonight. Damn thing is scary as hell. Just go Google 'SCP 106' or 'SCP 096' and see for yourself.**

**But it's very well done considering it's a free game. Can get it off the SCP website and try it out yourself.**

**Anyway, back to why I'm actually here! Update! Hope you guys enjoy the suspence! **

**Also be sure to check out this month's pic for it in the Nine Month Trial folder on my DA Account.**

**See you again next month, where a little something different is gonna happen ;)**

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Dib walked in with a heavy breath, yelling out, "I'm home!"  
He left his laptop case on the kitchen counter just next to the front door – loosening his red and black tie – as he began moving towards their bedroom, "You awake, Zim?"

He walked in, Zim sitting on their bed with a ghost-like look upon his face, much to Dib's surprise, "Oh, hello."

Zim looked up at him pathetically, wearing his purple oversized jersey that he only wore in winter. Autumn had introduced a chill into the air, but not yet cold enough for that sort of jersey to be worn. Dib came and sat next to him, throwing his jacket off onto the chair by his desk. The mood felt uneasy. Was Zim upset about something?

Dib attempted to give him a kiss upon his cheek, but Zim turned away, his gaze returning quickly to the floor where it had been previously trained. Dib grew a worried look, "Alright, what did you do now?"

Zim didn't even respond. Now something was definitely wrong. Usually, Zim leapt onto the human in a fit of anger, feeling wrongly accused for being blamed for everything when he looked upset. Most of the time, he was at fault, though.

But today…he looked hopeless. His face was drained of its colour. His hands were trembling slightly. It was just so…un-Zim-like.

Dib placed a hand on his leg, the alien shutting his eyes, "Zim…"

The alien finally looked at him, "You promise no matter what I am about to tell you, you will love and stand by Zim," he suddenly came out. Dib looked at him, grabbing his hand now instead, feeling worry leap into his chest, "What are you talking about?"

"Please, Dib," Zim tried, eyes wide in panic, "Promise that you'll be there for me! That no matter what, I can rely on you…that…this…won't…" he covered his face. He wasn't crying. No. He only ever showed his tears when he was in physical pain.

But he was in some form of distress. Like he had to hide himself behind his palms. Dib reached out and held onto him tightly, the alien shaky and weak in his grasp, "Zim. No matter what happens to us; all that we've been through…I've stood by you. What is so bad that you would question my loyalty?"

Zim pulled his hands away as he pushed himself off of the human to look at him. But as soon as his gaze caught the hazel eyes, his pink gems dashed away as he stared at the desk Dib usually sat at when working on his laptop in the evenings after dinner, "Dib…"

Dib looked at him, waiting. He couldn't rush him. No…that would end with Zim snapping at him and walking away. That had been happening a lot lately.

Zim sighed and finally met the human's gaze, something crushing his heart as he finally admitted the truth, "Dib…I'm…pregnant."

The human just stared at him, making it hard for the alien to properly read his reaction. After a few moments, Dib gave him a smirk, "S-seriously? Zim, here I was thinking this was actually something important!"  
Zim watched him as Dib stood, "What?! What do you mean…?"

Dib turned to him as the alien stood, "Funny joke, Zim. But I don't really have time for your warped sense of humour. I have to get some work done…"

"Dib I'm being serious!" Zim snapped, grabbing hold of his arm to allow no room for the human to escape.

But Dib was a lot stronger at the moment than he was, and simply snapped his arm back out of his grasp, "Zim, I know you're still coming to grips with anatomy and stuff, but no matter what species, males can't get pregnant. Only females on Earth are able to carry young, you dolt."

"But I'm not from this planet, Moron!"  
"So what, you're gonna tell me that all Irkens can get pregnant?!"

"Yes…well, I mean…mating on Irk is forbidden for such reasons. It's to stop us from getting pregnant…" Zim meekly added, feeling foolish again for not remembering such an important detail.

Dib laughed as he ran a hand through his hair, "I can't believe how much effort you are putting into this, Zim."

"Because it's true, you…!"

"Zim!" Dib roared, the Irken silencing, "Just…stop it. Okay? Just stop. If that was your dumbass way to test how much I love you, fine. I love you. Now please, just let me get back to my work."

Dib turned, about to leave. Zim bit his lip and yelled out at him. Dib turned, looking very unimpressed.

Zim's breathing picked up before he grabbed hold of his jersey and yanked it up slightly. Dib's hand slipped off the handle immediately as his jaw dropped, "Zim…?"

It was small. Tiny even. But against his usually flat frame…it was staring right back at him. Dib met the alien's stuttered gaze. No…there had to be another explanation. Weight gain? No…Zim had been eating less lately due to him…throwing up…in the mornings…

Dib placed a hand on the door behind him, trying to stay upright, "Oh my…"

"Dib?" Zim dropped the jersey, going up over to him.

Dib raised a hand, stopping the alien in his tracks. Zim looked at him desperately, thoughts of dread already filling up his mind. He knew it. The Human now hated him. He couldn't stop his arms from wrapping themselves around his sickly frame, seeking some form of comfort.

Dib looked at him, but couldn't keep upright and slid down onto the floor. Zim dropped down with him, attempting to go over to the human. But he stopped, knowing that would just make it worse, "Dib."

Dib looked at him, seeing the fear and dread in Zim's eyes.

He felt something tug at his heart.

Zim didn't move any closer as he sat back across from him, waiting for Dib to say something. And eventually, he did, "How…how long have you known for?"

Zim looked down, shutting his eyes, "A-a month now. I took the test while at work and…"

"Why did you wait so long to tell me!?" Dib asked, staring at him intensely.

Zim remained silent, still not looking at him.

Dib sighed as he rested against the door, "What the hell are we going to do now?"

Zim looked up at him, face pale and fear-ridden, "We could still try to…get rid of it somehow."

Dib looked at him, about to scream at him for even thinking of suggesting such a thing. Dib could never and would never…!

And neither could Zim. But the alien was so desperate to help the situation; he was willing to say anything to calm the human down. Dib relaxed as best he could and crawled over to Zim. He wrapped an arm around the shivering alien. Zim immediately grabbed hold of him, hugging him tightly.

Dib looked down at him, "You are such a twat, you know that?"

Zim shook his head, not really able to speak just yet. It felt good to be with Dib again like this. Dib rubbed his back gently, "I can't believe you felt you had to keep it from me for so long. To try and deal with this by yourself, Zimmy…"

Zim looked up at the human as Dib placed a hand over his cheek, "Look, we both are responsible for this mess we've gotten ourselves into…and I promise to ride this out with you till the end. Alright? We can do this."

Zim hesitated, "But Dib, being parents…"

"Is going to be a challenge, yes. But we've overcome so many obstacles in our life together already. I think we can handle one little kid, right?"

Zim gave him a smirk, "Yeah right. You make it sound like we're going for a simple stroll through the park or something."

They leant in and kissed, Zim relaxing slightly in the human's grip. They looked at one another, the moment quickly fading as Dib frowned, "We have a lot of things we need to get done before then, you know?"

"I know," Zim sighed, pulling off of him slightly as he looked away.

Dib rubbed his arm as he began thinking now.

He knew what he had to do…but knew he wasn't going to like it one bit.


	4. Month Four

**AND I'M BACK BABEH! Well, for the most part :p And with it, comes the next chilling installment of...this thingy! Whoo hoo**

**Alright, as mentioned in my Journal on DA, Tunica has gone on strike, so we have no image this month to go with this chapter. We ask you, the amazing talented souls out there reading to create an image for us, please. PLEASE! We would be most greatful to you if you did If you do (which we hope you do) send me the link so I can add it to this description for ya ;)**

**See you all next month (which is like a few days away...late post, I apologize)**

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"You sure you're okay to go by yourself? I'm feeling alright today, really. The morning sickness has really eased up on me," Zim tried as he leant against the kitchen counter.

"No, I'm a big boy. I can handle this by myself, thank you," Dib smirked as he pulled on his jacket, "You really don't need that kind of stress at the moment, Zim. You should be in bed with your feet up, resting."

Zim laughed falsely as he rolled his eyes, "Yeah, like that is gonna happen. I feel so useless when I just sit around on that horrid thing we call a bed. I've got stuff I need to take care of still."

"I still think you should quit work now, Zim," Dib tried.

Zim shook his head, "I'll quit only when I really start showing, alright? Now go. You know how _he_ gets when you're late."

Dib noted the annoyed smirk Zim started sporting after mentioning _him_. He held back the sigh he so wanted to let out and gave the alien a kiss on the cheek, "Be good now."

"Me? Please, Human," Zim exclaimed, smirking.

Dib slipped into his seat and turned the key. The engine whined pathetically before finally starting. Dib wanted to thump his head against the wheel, his ears crying out to hear that dreadful honking sound. He needed his feelings of anger to show somehow, and honking that horn as he banged his head on it seemed fitting. He just wanted to hear the honking sound again…

Mainly because he knew the horn broke two months ago.

He hated this car. He hated his house. He hated how all the things he needed – not even what he just wanted for the sake of having– were all out of reach at the moment. Since finding out that he was going to be a father very soon, he started cutting back on anything and everything he could, making sure to put away whatever he could in the Savings Account he never used. Zim even took his entire pay check – which was rather small, seeing as he only worked part-time – and put it straight into the account as well.

Dib was even considering taking a second job seeing as Zim was about to be unemployed soon. They both knew Zim couldn't pull off a pregnant belly at work. And besides, Dib would have preferred it for Zim to be at home. They were still not entirely sure of how this pregnancy was going to work out. How long would it take? What other symptoms was poor Zim about to face?

As far as Dib was concerned, Zim's pregnancy was working out similar to a human pregnancy.

He gulped. That meant he had five more months to go before he was going to see his child.

Five months was all they had to get their lives in order.

Dib pulled up the rust-bucket of a car outside the labs, finally letting his sigh loose. He slammed the door shut and made his way inside, muttering to himself, "Do it for the family. Do it for the family. Do it for the family."

Damn, same old half-deaf receptionist, "Hi Margret."

"What?!" she turned, sprawling arms waving around in the air, "Who's talking at me?!"

Dib raised his hand meekly, accustomed to these outbursts from since he was a kid.

She smiled, readjusting her spectacles, "Why, Hello there, Dip."

"Dib."

"That one," she smiled, pinching his cheek, "My, you have grown."

Dib bit back his annoyance, "Yeah, that does generally happen with time, Margret. Um, I'm here to see the Professor."

She turned and looked over her screen, "Ah, yes! I'll go see if he's ready to see you, Deary."

Dib nodded, going over to the steel seats offered in the waiting area.

He gazed around as he waited, feeling weird to be here again after so long. Nostalgia set in as he let the environment soak in a little. He remembered running around these labs when he and Gaz were kids, looking in all the nooks and crannies for Poltergeists. He never did find them…but he knew they were lurking in here still somewhere.

The old fuddy-duddy waddled her way over to him, "Professor Membrane is ready for you, Dip."

"Dib," he tried once more, standing and following her over to his office.

Dib knew this was a bad idea. The fact that he had to actually schedule an appointment with the man was warning enough over what was about to happen.

But he needed the money. He would pay him back tenfold when he got a sturdier job. But right now, he needed to get the apartment ready for their child. He needed to get clothes, diapers, food, blankets, a crib! All those things cost a lot of money, of which he knew he didn't have a lot of yet.

The kind frail woman opened the door, Dib stepping into the icy room. It slammed shut behind him, sending a shiver down his spine.

The chair's back was facing him, but he knew his father was sitting there. He could feel his harsh presence.

Dib waited until finally, "Take a seat, Dib."

Dib did has he was told, his legs becoming numb. He wasn't sure if it was because of the ridiculous temperatures in this office, or because after five years…he was hearing his father's booming voice again.

The chair spun around, Professor Membrane looking pretty much the same as he always had, "It's been a long time, Son."

"That is has," Dib replied, not yet comfortable to be on friendly enough terms to say 'dad'.

"To what do I owe this _pleasant_ visit? I can't say I'm not surprised to have heard from you in – what has it been now…?"

"Five years, Professor," Dib added, trying not to be bitter about it.

"Mmm hmm," The Professor nodded. He looked up at the aggressive look Dib was wearing proudly, "You look determined to get something out of me. Let me guess: you need money."

Dib's eyes squinted, "You guess correctly. You've blocked me from the banks so I can still have my accounts there, but I can't even take out a loan for emergencies like this." Bastard. Why did this man have so much power?!

The Professor decided to give his son a jab now, "How's Zim?"

Dib clenched his fists. His father was not subtle at all, was he? "Like you care."

"With a response like that, I presume you care as much as I do."

Dib shut his eyes, "He's fine. But that's not why I'm here to…"

The Professor stood, "Son, you know what I'm going to tell you. Why prolong this visit further?"

Dib stood in a fury, as though he was about to leap across and throttle him, "This is serious, Professor! I need that money from you!"

"And I need you to finally see the truth, Dib," the Professor turned, raising his voice. Dib stared at him, "Come on, Dib. How can I tell people you're my son if you're going around dating this freak of an alien?"

That was such a mistake. For Dib to have told his father that Zim was an alien like that all those years ago. He hoped it would have almost made things easier for his dad to take when he told him the truth about their relationship. Zim was present when this happened. Though angry at the time that Dib would dare mention it to his father like that – even if it was in a fit of rage and desperation – he _eventually _did forgive Dib for it.

But they both knew he had something on them now.

The Professor knew he couldn't bring it up while Dib was dating him like this. His reputation would plummet if the public found out his son was dating a male alien. So Zim's secret was safe for the moment. But that didn't put any form of ease into their minds.

Dib gritted his teeth, "I'm not asking you to recognize me as your son!"  
"Well then, stranger; how can I loan you money if I don't even recognize you as someone familiar?" the Professor stated plainly, a smirk present in his voice.

How his son was losing patience now, "Why are you doing this?! Does it really matter who I chose to be with? Shouldn't you just be happy that I found love?"

"If it's false love, then no, Dib. There's no reason for me to be happy," Membrane added, folding his arms.

"How do you know!? How does the man of science who has never felt love even know what it feels like!?" Dib yelled out.

The Professor completely disregarded what he said, like water off of a duck's back. Anyone would have been shocked at how well the Professor handled that comeback…but Dib knew his father didn't care for such trivial things like love, "Why do you need this money, Dib?"

His son finally froze stiff. Damn, he couldn't really tell him the truth, could he? His dad would probably have a heart attack, "Why does that matter?"

"Why not just tell me?" the Professor pressed.

"Why do you suddenly care if it doesn't involve me leaving Zim?!" Dib barked.

"Because if my guess is correct, that alien has done something idiotic and you need to pay the price for it, literally!"

"This isn't his fault in any way! We both got ourselves into this!" Dib yelled at him.

"What? What did you both do that you would come to me, of all people, for help!?"

"I got him pregnant!"

The silence was the loudest thing Dib ever heard. It rang in his ears as his final statement clung to his frazzled mind. The two stared blankly at the other, waiting for someone to say something…anything!

Finally, in the weakest voice Dib had ever heard his father speak with, the Professor simply pointed towards the door, "Out."

"What?" Dib let his voice crack.

"Out. Get out!" Membrane said once more, finding his voice.

"But…"

"GET OUT!"

The door slammed behind him as he marched out the building, grumbling to himself. He jumped into his car, and waited. He placed his hands over his face as he groaned.

He then looked up, noting his reflection barely in the window before him. He let out a breath and sat a little straighter, "If this experience taught me anything…"

He turned the ignition to his car, looking back at the road ahead, "It's that I will never be like that man. I'll be sure to look after my child, no matter what it takes."


	5. Month Five

**Hey again, everyone! Update time (huh, remember how I said I was going to update early this month XD Good joke, right?)  
I apologize. Even though I am technically meant to be on vacation, I still manage to get caught up in work. Ah well, I will always find time for my fans! (if I have any left...I hope I do)**

**Tunica apologizes again for the lack of image for this month. She said she'll make it up to us...dunno what she's planning, but anyways...**

* * *

Zim grumbled, throwing more of the fabrics onto the bed in frustration. More vibrantly coloured shirts hit the growing pile before he eventually just yelled out. Dib tried not to sigh as he turned to face the irate Irken, "Zim."

"Don't even!" Zim snapped, pointing a finger at him, "Don't say anything!"

Dib shrugged, going back to his laptop. He was going to attempt to explain to the alien that he was busy working, but he knew Zim wasn't having any of it.

None of his clothes fitted him properly anymore. It was driving the Irken bonkers that they were all tight and uncomfortable. With winter now just around the corner, most of his jerseys were just about fitting him, but he knew during the cold weather, he'd be too big to fit into anything they had left in their apartment.

He knew they were trying to cut back on expenses now that he had dismissed himself from the clothing store he worked at, but it was more the thought that he was getting bigger that was freaking him out now. His feet were beginning to hurt. He felt twinges dancing along his back every now and then.

But he never really told Dib about the new discomforts he was feeling. The Human was stressed beyond words at the moment. He had taken up a second job as a Beta Tester online. He would come home from work and just sit back on his laptop, spending most of the night awake, working.

Zim felt bad for this, and wished there was more he could do. Much to Dib's annoyance, he spent most of the day cleaning the house. He was still a bit of a germaphob, and now being stuck at home all day, he got to see how damn messy their place really was.

Dib was feeling a little more comfortable, and a little less cluttered. He only wished Zim would just sit and relax like he was meant to be doing.

Zim huffed and sat down, pouting as he folded his arms. His aggression faded away into a pitiful whimper. Dib looked up, trying really hard now not to sigh for Zim's sake. Those mood swings were something else. But Dib guessed he was sort of getting used to them now. He just wished Zim would have as well.

He turned around in his seat, facing the obviously upset alien, "Hon…"

"Leave me alone! I'm fat and-and can't fit into anything and I just…" Dib stood and went over to his lover, pulling him up into a hug, "You're not fat, and no, I don't plan on leaving you alone just yet, thank you very much."

Zim rested his face against the human's chest, "I hate this."

"I know you do. But we're half way there," Dib tried, knowing that wasn't much of a comfort at this point in time.

Zim pulled away, looking at him, "I'm so sorry, Dib."

The human gave him a look. Zim…apologizing? "For what?"

"Everything," Zim sighed, sitting back down, "This could have all been avoided if I wasn't such a ditz and remembered the whole 'Irkens can get pregnant' thing."

Dib was kind of worried now. What the hell had those hormones done to his alien!?

He sat down next to him, "It's not…that bad."

"How do you figure?" Zim immediately commented, glaring at him.

"Well…" Dib tried, his hands out, ready to make elaborate gestures over how great this was.

But all that came of it was an awkward silence. Zim hit him, "You see!"

Dib smiled, "Zim, I'm just kidding with you."

"Not funny, Human Meat Puppet."

"I know we're having a tough time here and everything, but when he or she gets here…" Dib placed a hand over the slight protrusion that was now Zim's stomach, "Then you'll see how worth it all this is."

Zim looked down. It felt weird. Having Dib's hand there all of a sudden. He did enjoy the feeling, but…it was so foreign to him. His frown grew bigger, Dib immediately taking his hand away from the spot, "What's wrong?"

"I-I'm not cut out for this, Dib," Zim sighed as he looked back up at the human, "From what I've started researching on the interweb…"

"Internet," Dib corrected, already not liking where this was going. He hated it when Zim looked stuff up on the computer. It usually turned out to be incorrect, but set in stone a new worry for the alien to fixate over.

"It says human females who are 'first-time mothers' shouldn't be too worried about loving their child because…well, they have this incense."

Dib looked at him, not quite getting it. Zim tried elaborating, "Maternal incenses? Ring any bells?"

The human looked away, before it hit him, "Instincts!" He tried not to laugh, because Zim looked even more discouraged now, "I can't even say the damn thing right! Our child is doomed!"

"Oh, no, they're not," Dib tried, holding onto the upset Irken, "They'll be just fine. Zim, it's one of those things that when you look at them, it'll just hit you! And if not, you've got me around to help you, alright?"

Zim looked at him, "Dib…" he whined.

"Zim, trust me," Dib tried one last time, placing a hand firmly on the alien's lower back.

Zim tried not to cringe. Dib had hit a delicate spot. But he was unable to stop himself in time for Dib to see the look. He retracted his hand again, feeling bad that nothing he was doing seemed to be helping the poor disgruntled alien at the moment, "Sore back as well?"

Zim shook his head, "I'm fine…"

Dib turned him around, Zim fighting him as best he could, and began giving him a gentle massage. The yells of anger began to die down from the alien as Zim relaxed, enjoying the loosening of the tense muscles. Dib smirked, "Not so bad, huh?"

Zim said nothing, just enjoying the feeling. He eventually gave up on the feeling and just leant backwards onto Dib, the human smiling down at him.

Zim smirked, "Love you."

"Love you two," he smiled back, speaking to both his babies as he wrapped his arms around Zim, "Come. I think you both need some sleep."

Dib cleaned up the clothing off the bed as the Irken helped him. Zim was about to step into bed when Dib stopped him.

He grabbed his laptop case from the kitchen and brought it into the room, "Not really what I should be getting you, but until I find the proper store…"

He handed Zim a new pink stripped jersey. It was an extra, extra large! But Zim simply smiled and leapt up, hugging the human as tightly as he could.

Dib gave a smile. He had to spoil Zim every once in a while. He knew the alien was finding this a rough experience.

Even if it was a little strain on the wallet, the reaction was all he needed to keep him going at the moment.


End file.
